


Play

by Cinerari



Series: Swap-verse [3]
Category: Captain Harlock, コスモウォーリアー零 | Cosmo Warrior Zero
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe Harlock, Alternate Universe Yama, Canon Harlock, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 13:23:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16833478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinerari/pseuds/Cinerari
Summary: CWZ!Harlock is stuck in a universe where another version of him works for the government and is no fun. He'll fix that.





	Play

**Author's Note:**

> An old request fic for the prompt "snow." This was part of a bigger universe I never got around to writing. "Phantom" is CWZ!Harlock and "Harlock" is Swaplock. I think Yama was Harlock's ship doctor in this AU? Idk.

I’d never seen a grown adult look quite so much like a little kid. It started the moment the captain hopped down from the ship’s boarding ramp. He landed on both feet with the satisfying crunch that came with stepping in snow. A glimmer of eagerness appeared in his eyes.

“Been a while since you’ve seen snow, eh Captain?” I called as I took a slow step out after him. I wasn’t much of a cold-weather person. Snow and ice meant dead plants, and dead plants meant no new salves or research. Living on a ship usually meant none of that was an issue. The Deathshadow had good central heating.

But the captain had wanted to stop on a snow planet for some ungodly reason, so I’d pulled on my thickest jacket over my lab coat and stuffed my hands in some of his old, leather gloves. I should have said no. People were liable to get sick after running around in weather like this, but he was the captain after all. He had final say, and if he said he wanted to go wander around in the snow for a while, well, I couldn’t deny him such an odd request.

“Always snowed where I lived back on Earth,” he said, lips tugging toward a smile. “Been away so long, I guess I kind of missed it.”

“Yeah, it snowed where I lived too before I moved to Mars. Can’t say I ever missed the snow – all that shoveling.”

He snorted in amusement. “Oh, we never shoveled it. Tied a rope from the front door to the mailbox if it got bad enough and swam our way through.”

“Even Tochiro?”

“Especially Tochiro. I had to go out and rescue him a few times when he got stuck. He was even shorter as a kid you know.”

I couldn’t imagine it.

“So what’s the plan now that we’re here?” I asked. The landscape was flat and gray. Clouds ensured we couldn’t see too far into the distance, not that there was much to see. Excepting where we’d landed, the snow was pristine, smooth as glass.

I doubted he had a plan, and he confirmed that with a shrug. “Honestly, I just wanted to come out and see the snow for a bit.”

“Yeah, I figured as much.”

“Doesn’t look like anyone else wanted to,” he huffed, frowning back over his shoulder. “Daiba would have liked it.”

I was quick to avoid the topic of his former crewman. “No one has any winter-wear, Captain. It’s damn cold out here.” I was wearing two pairs of pants and three layers of shirts, and I was still cold. Even with my gloved hands shoved in my pockets, my fingers were starting to stiffen and ache. My nose stung from the lazy winds, but Harlock didn’t seem to mind any of it. He was still wearing his usual red uniform, starched fabric fit for combat. Not exactly comfortable or warm. 

“I guess it’s cold,” he said, shrugging. “But the snow’s not too deep. Doesn’t even reach the top of my boots.”

The sound of footsteps slamming against hollow metal neared our backs before I could mention that his boots were unreasonably tall. We both turned just in time to see Phantom slam into Harlock, knocking the two of them down into the snow together. Phantom cackled as Harlock screeched in anger.

The snow swallowed them both, muffling the sounds of an oncoming fight.

“What are you doing!?”

“It’s your own fault. You were asking for it, just standing there like that.”

“You’re supposed to be in the brig!”

“Tochiro let me out because he said no one would play in the snow with you, and you were sad about it.”

Harlock stammered for a moment before managing an answer. “That’s not true! And you’re supposed to be a prisoner. We can’t just go letting you out.”

I walked over to find Phantom still pinning Harlock down as Harlock tried to wriggle his way free. Despite sharing a face, the two really were awfully different. Still, I could tell they were the same person, even if Harlock would always deny it. Phantom had that same childish gleam in his eyes as snow clung to his bright-blue starched uniform.

“Yama, help me,” Harlock demanded, shoving his hands up against Phantom’s face as the man grinned.

“I’m not getting dragged down into the snow,” I said. “You’ve got him on the ropes anyway, Captain.”

“Aw, you should join us, Yama,” Phantom said. “I figure once you’re both chilled to the bone, I can help you warm up.”

It was clear he was saying it just to get a rise out of Harlock. He always did, and Harlock always fell for it, his face red as he spluttered and slammed his fist into Phantom’s gut. That got Phantom off at least. He wheezed as he fell to the side, clutching his arms across his gut.

“It’s your own fault,” I said. “You were asking for it.”

Despite his cringing, he managed a laugh.

Harlock hopped to his feet and stomped a few paces away before scooping up a handful of snow. He packed it into a ball, one I thought I would be safe from until Phantom grabbed me by the arm and yanked me in front of him. I took the snowball to my cheek and ear as Phantom laughed. Harlock looked too mad to offer an apology.

They were both dead men.

I grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it over my shoulder into Phantom’s face. Once he released me, the fight was on. They weren’t the only ones on the ship with good aim.

By the time we all dragged ourselves inside, panting and shivering, our hair and clothes were soaked. We all changed into pajamas, Phantom having stolen a pair of Harlock’s, and once I went to check on my captain, I found him bundled up in his bed.

“Cold?” I called.

He mumbled some sort of denial, but I crawled in after him, peeling away the blankets until I could settle myself beside him. “I’m freezing,” I said, pressing up against his back, broad and warm.

“Hm, yeah,” he said. Must have worn himself out. I was quite content to fall asleep against him until the door flew open and a yell echoed through the room.

“I made hot chocolate!” Phantom – he sounded so proud of himself. “It was a pain in the ass, so you’d better appreciate my hard work.”

We were forced to sit up as he plopped himself on Harlock’s other side. He was quick to shove mugs into our hands. They were warm, at least. Smelled nice too.

“Thanks,” I said.

“What makes you think I wanted this?” Harlock huffed.

“Because I wanted it, and I knew you would too.”

Harlock narrowed his eyes at his double but didn’t argue. His attempt to take a sip of the drink backfired as he burned his tongue. “It’s too hot,” he snapped.

“Guess I rubbed off on it a bit too much,” Phantom said, not trying hard enough to hide a smirk.

Between scalding my tongue on the too-sweet drink, I offered occasional comments to their usual snide remarks toward each other. It didn’t take long for them to devolve into a petty argument. They were such children.

“Come on,” I butted in once again. “Phantom clearly made this for you because he was worried you’d gotten cold, and this is his way of apologizing.”

Phantom froze like a cold snap had gotten ahold of him. My brows shot up. I must have been right. Harlock stared at him, silent and appraising. After a moment, he went back to his drink. “Still too hot,” he grumbled.

“Thank you,” Phantom said with a wink.

I grabbed Harlock’s arm to keep him from dumping the drink on his double. “You’ll make a mess,” I said.

“It’ll be worth it.”


End file.
